Performance Tasks (Grant Wiggins & Jay McTighe, 2009) Complex challenges that mirror the issues and problems faced by adults. Ranging in length from short-term tasks to long-term, multi-staged projects, they yield one or more tangible products and performances. They differ from academic prompts in the following ways:
the setting is real or simulated and involves the kind of constraints, background "noise," incentives, and opportunities an adult would find in a similar situation (i.e. they are "authentic")
typically require the student to address an identified audience (real or simulated)
are based on a specific purpose that relates to the audience
allow students greater opportunity to personalize the task
are not secure: the task, evaluative criteria, and performance standards are known in advance and guide student work.
Literacy Design Collaborative Search Term - SAS The Literacy Design Collaborative teaching task provides a blueprint for seamlessly integrating literacy and content standards in a rigorous, authentic classroom experience. The teaching task requires students to read, analyze and comprehend written materials and then write cogent arguments, explanations or narratives in the subjects they are studying. All of the resources (links to websites, articles, etc) are incorporated in the task. Sample Performance Tasks: Elementary Level:
Complex challenges that mirror the issues and problems faced by adults. Ranging in length from short-term tasks to long-term, multi-staged projects, they yield one or more tangible products and performances. They differ from academic prompts in the following ways:
- the setting is real or simulated and involves the kind of constraints, background "noise," incentives, and opportunities an adult would find in a similar situation (i.e. they are "authentic")
- typically require the student to address an identified audience (real or simulated)
- are based on a specific purpose that relates to the audience
- allow students greater opportunity to personalize the task
- are not secure: the task, evaluative criteria, and performance standards are known in advance and guide student work.
Performance Task Creation Resources:Use the template below to create a performance task using GRASPS. .
Literacy Design Collaborative Search Term - SAS
The Literacy Design Collaborative teaching task provides a blueprint for seamlessly integrating literacy and content standards in a rigorous, authentic classroom experience. The teaching task requires students to read, analyze and comprehend written materials and then write cogent arguments, explanations or narratives in the subjects they are studying. All of the resources (links to websites, articles, etc) are incorporated in the task.
Sample Performance Tasks:
Elementary Level:
Middle Level:
Link to All 8th Grade Public Service Announcement Project Resources
High School Level:
Sample Rubrics:
Quality Blogging Rubric - click on the rubric to enlarge the print